MainPower Electricity Distribution Limited plans to invest ₦1.2 billion in metering, electricity network rehabilitation and infrastructure upgrades in Ugwuaji, Enugu State, while targeting comprehensive customer enumeration and metering for about 7,500 residents.
MainPower Electricity Distribution Limited (MEDL) has announced plans to invest approximately ₦1.2 billion in electricity metering, network rehabilitation and infrastructure upgrades in Ugwuaji Community, Enugu State, as part of efforts to improve power supply and strengthen its relationship with customers.
The electricity distribution company also plans to conduct a comprehensive enumeration and metering exercise covering approximately 7,500 customers in the community.
The Managing Director of MainPower, Dr Ernest Mupwaya, disclosed this on Friday during a stakeholder engagement organised by the Enugu State Electricity Regulatory Commission (EERC) in Ugwuaji.
Mupwaya said the planned investment was aimed at addressing longstanding challenges affecting the relationship between the company and residents while establishing a more transparent and sustainable electricity distribution system.
He disclosed that a joint committee comprising five representatives of Ugwuaji Community and five representatives of MainPower had been established to resolve outstanding issues between both parties.
Describing the relationship between the company and its customers as a lasting partnership, Mupwaya said, “a marriage which can never be dissolved.”
Mupwaya identified inadequate metering as the major source of complaints from customers in Ugwuaji, noting that approximately 90 per cent of the concerns raised during the stakeholder engagement related to metering.
He assured residents that MainPower remained committed to metering all its customers by the end of 2027, describing the initiative as essential to ensuring fair billing and transparent transactions.
According to him, the proposed ₦1.2 billion investment will cover customer enumeration, meter deployment, electricity infrastructure improvements and measures to protect the company’s investments.
The managing director also announced that the company was ready to commence a comprehensive customer enumeration exercise, adding that the required meters were already available.
“The customer enumeration would enable us to maintain an accurate database, improve service delivery, and keep our customers informed of major developments through electronic communication channels,” he said.
The exercise is expected to help MainPower establish reliable customer records, improve communication and address billing-related concerns in the community.
The MainPower managing director explained that the metering initiative was also part of the company’s preparations for a potential increase in electricity generation, particularly the Enugu State Government’s planned 660-megawatt power generation project.
He said the company’s long-term objective was to move towards providing electricity for up to 24 hours daily, adding that comprehensive metering would help customers monitor and manage their electricity consumption more effectively.
Mupwaya appealed to Ugwuaji residents to collaborate with MainPower in protecting electricity infrastructure and resolving historical disagreements.
He stressed that improving electricity supply would require shared responsibility, including protecting power installations, paying electricity bills, ensuring proper metering and maintaining effective communication between the company and its customers.
In his welcome address, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of EERC, Chijioke Okonkwo, highlighted changes in Nigeria’s electricity sector following the enactment of the Electricity Act 2023.
Okonkwo noted that Enugu State had become the first state to utilise the provisions of the Act to enact its own electricity law and establish a state electricity regulatory commission.
He said the development had opened the state’s electricity market to investment and created opportunities to expand electricity access.
The EERC chairman urged Ugwuaji residents to support the ongoing reforms, noting that the community’s electricity infrastructure could contribute to economic expansion and attract new investments.
He also called on residents to protect electricity infrastructure, avoid energy theft and other illegal activities, pay their electricity bills and cooperate with MainPower’s efforts to improve service delivery.
The traditional ruler of Ugwuaji, His Royal Highness Chinedu Nwobodo, welcomed the stakeholders and recounted some of the electricity supply challenges the community had experienced over the years.
He appealed to MainPower to intensify efforts to improve the quality and reliability of electricity supply while commending the company’s management for taking steps to rebuild its relationship with residents.
“MainPower has started well and I urge you not to relent,” Nwobodo said.
The stakeholder engagement also featured presentations by the EERC Commissioner for Engineering, Health and Safety, Engr Chinedum Ukabiala, and the Head of the Consumer Complaints Resolution Desk, Nennaya Ugwu.
Their presentations addressed the importance of electricity metering and consumer rights and responsibilities under the electricity regulatory framework.
The forum provided an opportunity for residents to raise concerns about electricity supply and service delivery, with officials of EERC and MainPower responding to the issues presented.
MainPower management officials who attended the meeting included Chief Commercial Officer Ikenna Akabogu; Chief Technical Officer Engr Chimezie Chukwu; Head of Customer Service Ijeoma Ogudebe; Head of Communications Emeka Ezeh; Head of Health, Safety and Environment Dr Francis Iwu; Head of Operations Engr Ikenna Mbamalu; and Awkunanaw District Business Manager Nelson Iwuagwu.
The planned investment and metering exercise represent a proposed step towards addressing customer complaints, improving electricity infrastructure and strengthening cooperation between MainPower and Ugwuaji residents. The extent of the improvement will depend on the implementation of the investment programme and sustained collaboration between the company, regulators and customers.
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